Family Confidential: Secrets of Successful Parenting with Annie Fox, M.Ed.

Research shows that how kids feel about being at school impacts their ability to do well at school. It comes down to something pretty simple: Kids need to feel welcome at school and that someone (a teacher) feels invested in their education. During this election cycle there has been an increase in the vitriol and nastiness and the racism, sexism, xenophobia that we and our young people are regularly hearing. The Southern Poverty Law Center has studied Hate in the Race (including the level of vitriol characterizing the contest for the presidency. They've also surveyed 2,000 teachers asking them how the presidential campaign was affecting their students and their teaching. According to author and educator, Rosalind Wiseman, "There have always been a couple of kids (in a class) who feel they have the right to insult and offend other kids. But those kids are now clearly emboldened by what they see and hear in the news." Teachers are instructed not to weigh in for or against any political candidate. So what are they to do to help their students create a culture of dignity? Annie talks to Rosalind about the need for adults to provide standards of morality and ethics for the children in their lives. About Rosalind Wiseman (@CultureODignity) Rosalind Wiseman has had only one job since graduating from college—to help communities shift the way we think about children and teens' emotional and physical wellbeing. As a teacher, thought leader, author, and media spokesperson on bullying, ethical leadership, the use of social media, and media literacy, she is in constant dialogue and collaboration with educators, parents, children, and teens. Rosalind is the author of the flexible, dynamic curriculum Own It: Empowering adolescents to CONFRONT social cruelty, Bullying and Injustice. Owning Up Online is the companion website for teachers. Rosalind's other books include: Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World—the groundbreaking, best-selling book that was the basis for the movie Mean Girls. Her latest book, Masterminds & Wingmen: Helping Our Boys Cope with Schoolyard Power, Locker-Room Tests, Girlfriends, and the New Rules of Boy World was published in September 2013. In addition, she wrote a free companion e-book for high school boys, entitled The Guide: Managing Douchebags, Recruiting Wingmen, and Attracting Who You Want and a school edition entitled, The Guide: Managing Jerks, Recruiting Wingmen, and Attracting Who You Want. Learn more at http://CulturesofDignity.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

Parents have obsessed over what goes into their kids' mouths since the dawn of dinner time. And for good reason. If your kid doesn't eat s/he won't thrive or even survive. Lack of food is a real problem in many underdeveloped countries. Food distribution is also a real problem in countries where some families starve while others have access to more than enough quality food for their families. It's probably safe to assume that most of us with the resources to access this podcast are fortunate enough to have the resources to provide food in abundance to our families. And yet we still obsess. According to mental healthy professional and parenting expert Iréné Celcer, all this obsessing isn't healthy for the child or the parent. She says, "A successful parent gets out of his or her child's plate and allows children to eat according to the child's hunger. The successful parent does not impinge on the child's sense of being hungry." Annie talks with Iréne about stepping back and letting your child develop their own sense of what it feels like to be hungry and how to satisfy that hunger with healthy amounts of healthy food. About Iréné Celcer (@irenecelcer) Iréné Celcer, MA, LCSW, is originally from Argentina. A mental health professional and parenting expert, her specialities include cultural issues that may affect individuals who need to adapt to their new country. Iréne works with parents whose children are affected by ADD, bullying, eating problems, or body image issues. A regular guest on CNN, she has extensive expertise in eating disorders, body image perceptions, and women's issues. She is the author of 99 Tips to Reset the Table: Parenting in a Society Obsessed with Food, Weight, Obesity, and Body Image. In addition to her writing and philanthropic work, she maintains a private practice. Iréné Celcer lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more at http://IreCelcer.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

When developers first started creating apps for kids, the focus was primarily on math and language arts skills. But now the new hot area for app development is social and emotional learning (SEL). According to USA Today Kid-Tech columnist Jinny Gudmundsen, "As the app world has grown and seasoned a bit, we now are finding app developers tackling all sorts of interesting questions, and it's amazing what you can expose children to (through apps)." Annie talks with Jinny about the best kids' apps for teaching social and emotional skill-building. Jinny Gudmundsen's recommended Social and Emotional Learning apps mentioned in this podcast: "Make Me Smile" by Apptation Inc. "Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings" by PBS Kids "My Beastly ABC's" by the Duncan Studio "Even Monsters Are" Shy by Busy Bee Studios "Middle School Confidential 1: Be Confident in Who You Are" by Electric Eggplant "Middle School Confidential 2: Real Friends vs the Other Kind" by Electric Eggplant "Middle School Confidential 3: What's Up With My Family?" by Electric Eggplant "Loose Strands" by Darned Socks Production About Jinny Gudmundsen (@TechwKids) Jinny Gudmundsen is the Kid-Tech columnist for USA Today. She's also the Editor of Tech with Kids, where she publishes reviews and Best Picks recommendation lists of children's apps, video games, websites, and tech toys. The site's mission is to help parents, grandparents, and teachers find the best tech to use with their kids. Learn more at http://TechWithKids.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

When girls feel good about who they are, including how they look, they are powerful. But how can girls and women of any age feel self-confident when they're constantly bombarded by fabricated images that leave them feeling dissatisfied with their bodies? Annie talks with writer and body image activist, Sharon Haywood, about what parents (and moms, especially) can do to help their daughters develop a positive body image, even if Mom herself struggles with body image issues. About Sharon Haywood (@Sharon_Haywood) Sharon Haywood is a freelance writer and editor who combines her love of the written word with her passion for body image activism and feminism. She regularly writes for Herizons, and has contributed to "Fifty Shades of Feminism" (Virago). In 2009, Sharon joined the London-based AnyBody team, part of the international movement Endangered Bodies, which inspired her to organize Endangered Species: Preserving the Female Body in Buenos Aires, one of five international summits held in March 2011. From 2009-2014, she was co-editor for http://AdiosBarbie.com, a website promoting healthy body image and identity for people of all sizes, ages, races, cultures, abilities, and sexual identities and orientations. Since January 2013, Sharon has been a member of the Global Advisory Board for the Dove Self-Esteem Project, advising on issues affecting today's young people with a specific focus on improving their self-esteem and body confidence. Learn more at http://SharonHaywood.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

Three months after Heather Von St. James gave birth to her first child, she was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer caused by asbestos. She was told she had fifteen months to live. Fast-forward eleven years and Heather is very much alive and has dedicated her life to helping parents who are cancer patients. "My job, as an advocate, is not to tell patients the 'right way' to do things." Heather says. "Those parents know their kids far better than I do. (The question is) how much do you think (your child) can handle? I know what works for my daughter. (That's all.) It's more important for me to support them in their decision and maybe suggest things that might work better." Annie talks to Heather about helpful ways for parents to respond to children's questions, concerns and worries about a parent's health challenges and how help your child get the community support he or she needs at this time. About Heather Von St. James (@HeatherVSJ) Heather Von St. James is an 11-year cancer survivor, cancer research advocate, and blogger. She is a contributor to Huffington Post and offers a message of courage, inspiration and hope. Heather also serves as a mesothelioma research funding advocate and conference speaker for the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization and Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. As a survivor of this often fatal asbestos disease, she considers herself to be a "poster child for hope after mesothelioma." Learn more at http://Mesothelioma.com Camp Kesem Heather strongly recommends that kids whose parents are undergoing cancer treatment spend time around other kids who are going through the same thing. Camp Kesem, a nation-wide community driven by passionate college student leaders, supports children during and beyond their parent's cancer. Camp Kesem is free of charge for every child who attends and is open to children who have lost a parent to cancer, have a parent who is undergoing cancer treatment, or whose parent is a cancer survivor. With 100+ college chapters from coast to coast, you can find a camp near you. Learn more at http://CampKesem.org While Camp Kesem is only open to children of cancer patients, there are other camps that provide wonderful support for children who are, themselves, cancer patients or who have a sibling who is a cancer patient. Find those camp options at http://www.ped-onc.org/cfissues/camps.html. Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.